A special get well card for a relative who had surgery right before Christmas. I typed the sentiment.

Another piece of the gold doily + some wood veneer and gold stitching.

I added a few wrapped candy bars in with a few cards.

I tied them up with baker's twine, a sparkly spring and stamped tag.

The thank you notes which have stamped tags and chipboard accents.

Lots of baker's twine and some typed sentiments too.

Love all the dimension on these.

Hope you enjoy! A little late in sharing but that seemed to be the name of the game this holiday season.

Now....
I must go prepare for 20 kids and 12 adults to be here on New Year's Eve. So it sounds like a great time to take a redhead to the city for some gift exchanges and a Sonic run. Our stove caught fire on Christmas Eve so it's all going to be simple crock pot appetizers and a swipe of the dust rag. No pressure!

December 29, 2013

Second post for today....I wanted to get these preview photos of some of my projects I created from the January Gossamer Blue kit. New stamps in the Life Pages kit + enamel dots, vellum die cuts and flair.

Today I'm sharing Week 47 of my Project Life 2013. This week got mixed up just a bit because I planned my pages as usual but forgot that I used a different page protector design the week before. No worries though I just rearranged a few things and trimmed photos in half here and there.

This week's layout uses products from the Gossamer Blue December kits. I loved the plum color in the December kits. Here's the left page which is where I had to get creative with my inserts. I had them already completed so my best option was to just trim them in half. I had one open 4 x 6 slot so I kept my main, dated insert in tact and just shifted it to the right instead of the usual left hand corner slot.

Tons of photos this week so every slot has a photo with added embellishments and journaling.

Lots of fun embellishing this month. I printed a tiny photo of the book I was reading and adhered it over a larger photo of me actually reading the book. And then there's Charlie, letting me know he's right there.

I got a little fancy with the dated insert. Such pretty colors, stickers, chipboard and I'm loving the photo corners still. Gold stitching creates a subtle border to frame all the elements. I'm about ready to switch out that gold thread soon.

The end of November brought on the list making. I love photos like this showing my planner, my never ending sticky notes, a cup of coffee and a stack of books and cookbooks. Let the list making begin.

When I watched Becky Higgins' podcast on Project Life, she suggested keeping a photo of your wedding day out in plain sight. So I moved ours to the living room that day. The girls instantly saw it and asked questions. This is an insert I had to trim in half.

Hello sock buns, courtesy of the Josey. My hair is so thick, I had the biggest sock bun ever. I love this photo of us.

I tried something new here. I recorded the first fire of the season, started by Josey and I. I used a vellum envelope to create a hidden journaling pocket.

The envelope opens from the side and my journaling tag slips in under the photo.

Loved this "good eats" journaling card. It was perfect for my Jimmy Johns photos. The "hello kitty" insert was a favorite. So natural and woodsy looking. I love it when I find a kitty at antique stores. Reminds me of the time when my mom and dad actually brought me home a cat from an antique store. It was a calico kitty (my favorite) and the owners needed to find her a new home.

Jordan sneaking a lick from the brownie bowl. Watching Becky's 3 day video. So inspiring.

More camo. This time Josey sitting out in our timber and Josey with new camo shoes.

Here I have a fun pocket insert created with the December Life Pages stamp set. You can find my tutorial over at the Gossamer Blog for how I use the stamps and some good tips and tricks. I also have to mention the insert on the right. This photo showed the perfect transition from Fall to Winter. I had my Fall wreath but also my favorite green scarf hanging on the hall mirror. Love finding everyday things likes this.

Another week in the books. I just completed some December Memories pages up to day 17 so I'll be sharing those next week. Also the January Gossamer Blue kits will be available soon so stay tuned for some sneak peeks of my Life Pages.

Coming in 2014.....
I've got a new monthly feature coming to my blog that I think will be so inspiring which also means new items coming to my shop. Also, I'm putting a twist on Ali's One Little Word. I'd like to wrap up my holiday posts which just got away from me so look for my holiday cards and holiday cocoa station coming soon. Is it me or did the late Thanksgiving date just throw everyone off this year? I think I need to plan my holiday happenings a lot sooner next year.

December 22, 2013

Hello everyone. We woke up to about 4" of snow so it looks like we'll have a white Christmas this year. Perfect sledding snow but it's bitterly cold so we'll see if that transpires. We might opt for taking a drive on the country roads and photographing the scenery. With homemade hot cocoa and marshmallows. And Charlie. :)

On the blog here I'm sharing days 6, 7 and 8 of my December Memories album. Day 6 was a favorite day and a favorite layout. Every year our high school art class sponsors a holiday dinner and music program for the senior citizens of our community. My mom and dad always look forward to it and Eric and I get to go also as special guests for Eric being a school board member. So I get to see the fun stuff that the art kids do and socialize with lots of the folks of our community.

This full layout just shows off the holiday spirit so nicely. Josey and a few other art students were in charge of creating a full holiday wall display in the main entry. She took my vintage Santa mugs, some old thermoses, my wood platter and old sled to create an old time scene. It was so darling. I used sheet music patterned paper for the backing here since there was a music program too.

Here's the entire wall that the girls decorated. I suggested that they used sponges and paint to create the bricks. I think it looks pretty spiffy. The little Santa mugs display was set into a recessed window which is the concession stand window. It looks like you were looking into a house. I used a Gold Foil Doily tucked under the photo and a "deck the halls" sticker since the girls literally decked the hallway.

Journaling about the day and the sequin pocket with gold doily that I had created previously.

This day was all about shopping in the city and then heading to Eric's company Christmas party. I really love the aqua and gold color scheme here.

I used more gold foil accents and letters for the little title card.

This insert shows the gift wrap aisle at Target. Always a fun time each year to just stroll down the aisles and see what they have.

The right page has a 4 x 6 photo of me standing in line. Ugh, the worst part. I use the "nice" speech bubble in a different way....to journal that I needed a reminder to be extra nice and patient while dealing with all the crowds.

I typed on my Grid Paper Labels throughout my album. An easy way to add journaling then you just peel and stick.

Here's the gold envelope insert with various stickers.

I tucked in a few photos into the envelope. They're not pretty photos so I didn't want them in the main portion of the album. Eric manages a Bobcat machinery store so the Christmas parties are always construction oriented with lots of men. It's a fun time and the guys get ornery. There is always a silent auction and rob your neighbor type gift exchange. Sometimes you get something good, sometimes you get a used tape measure, Goof Off and paint can lids. Yay. We did come home with a piggy bank that farts when you put coins in. Jordan loved it. Go figure.

This is the back side of the envelope which notes the freezing one degree temperature we endured while out shopping. I loved the little car sticker from a Gossamer Blue kit that I stuck on top of the screen shot of the weather.

Day 8 was all about keeping warm and cozy. I have a 5 x 7 insert in between.

Here's the 2 page spread.

I love using enlarged photos in the albums. Capturing a photo of our tree with the fireplace in the background is always a favorite shot.

Most of the embellishments were already chosen previously, I just added the stickers.

The right side shows a dusting of snow on our wood rack on the back deck + a nice warm fire. The "warmest winter wishes" card was a favorite from the Gossamer Blue December Memories Kit.

This is the insert which shows out slight dusting of snow that was supposed to measure 4-6". Not. I added an instagram with pop dots that has the word "snow"that drew with my finger on a rock in my flower bed. The old adirondack chairs are some treasures that are showing their wear and tear.

The back side shows Charlie and one of our furry kittens.

I used more Grid Paper Labels to journal how lucky Charlie is to get to stay nice and warm inside the house.

Finally, here's the status of my December Memories album so far. All of the 31 days are in here and this shows up to day 8 with embellishments and photos. Me thinks this album is gonna be a chubby one.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend. Eric opted to not take any extra days off for Christmas so that his employees could all take time off. That means we have to enjoy every extra day we can. I'm off to bundle up for our little country drive. Then I'm baking the last two batches of cookies for cookie trays. Except the family brought home white chocolate bark instead of actual dark chocolate almond bark for my peanut butter balls. Text me from the store, people. ;) Have a great day!